Kings and Queens
by HieiXKagome1999
Summary: Lealie had always felt out of place, as if something important was missing. It really put a spin on her perspective hen she 'died' on 'Earth' and woke up as her true self in the world of Alagaesia.
1. Chapter 1

**_Kings and Queens_**

**_Summary:_** Lealie had always felt out of place, as if something important was missing. It really put a spin on her perspective when she died on ''Earth'' and woke up as her true self in the world of Alagaesia.

**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own the Inheritance Cycle or anything else mentioned in this fic besides my OC, Lealie. Technically, she can't really count as an OC since she's really an extremely important figure of the Inheritance Cycle with her memories sealed but her life as Lealie can count as my OC.

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**_Chapter 1: Remembering_**

_''__People have an annoying habit of remembering things they shouldn't.''_

_-Christopher Paolini, Eragon_

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There was nothing remotely special about her. She wasn't a fighter pilot in the military, shooting down enemies, or a doctor, saving lives every day, or even a scientist, making discoveries that would help improve the world. No, she wasn't any of that. She was just a teacher, a normal, down-to-earth, high school teacher with a hobby of riding horses and camping out.

That morning had started no different than usual, with a cup of milk and an early morning run for Ragnar, one of her horses. He was well on his way on recovering from his accident at one of the races that had nearly caused him to shatter one of his forelegs. However, due to Lealie's careful walks and devoted medical care, his foreleg was nearly healed. After the morning run, Lealie returned him to his stall in the stable, cooling him off and brushing him down.

Then she took the time to coax one of her newly bought horses out of his stall. His name was Loki, a pitch black horse with a streak of mischief a mile wide. She managed to persuade him into one of her largest corrals, where he proceeded to start eating the thick grass, ignoring her as she sat down on the top board of one of the white fences surrounding the area. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she hopped down from the fence, slowly approaching the horse. Loki raised his head, as if sensing her approach, and eyed her wearily with intelligent green eyes. It was an unusual color for a horse but it fit him.

Lealie started to smile as he looked at her, contemplating, before turning his head, clearly deciding she wasn't worth it. She stepped up to his flank before slowly pulling herself up onto his back, waiting for him to buck or move. He merely stood still, unaffected, as if waiting for her to mount. Lealie grinned widely once she was fully on his back, gently taking pieces of his mane into her hands. She carefully nudged him with her heels and he started off into a trot.

Soon, they had progressed to a steady canter around the ring. Throwing her head back, a loud, twinkling laugh left her lips as white fences sped by them, around and around and around. Everything became a blur until something flashed, appearing with a startling clarity. It was a man, standing in front of them. Lealie's eyes widened as she saw him, her heart skipping.

He was young, most likely in his twenties. His skin was lightly tanned and he had a slim, lean frame, standing tall. His warm, hazel brown eyes met her own startled ocean blue irises, a glimmer of love and something more in his eyes. He had a soft, loving smile on his face, directed at her. Alarmed, Lealie jerked at Loki's mane, trying to turn him. But Loki wasn't having it. He dug his heels in and allowed her to fly from his back.

Her eyes drifted to where the man stood, finding nothing but air, before pain exploded in her spine and head as she crashed into the fence.

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Deep inside the Spine, hidden in a cavern behind the waterfall, there was a room carved out of the deep, obsidian stone. The room was empty except for a few things. One of them was a thick black leather bag, resting against one of the walls. Beside it lay a long wooden case holding a type of weapon inside.

A few feet away from the supplies, a large pool of water rested. However, this pool was no ordinary pool. It was enchanted, indicated by the light grey smoke wafting around the sides, seeming to guard what lay within. The water inside was an unnatural, acid green color, murky and unclear. Inside the water lay a woman.

She looked to merely be sleeping, in a coma-like state. Her porcelain pale skin had a green tint from the acidic green liquid around her and her long black tresses flowed around her head like a halo. Her eyes were closed and a peaceful expression rested on her face, as if she were having a good dream. Over fourteen years had passed since her imprisonment but time had preserved her beauty and abilities. Nothing had changed in over fourteen years.

However, it seemed that day would be the day of change. Her peaceful, small smile changed, shifting into a small frown of confusion, as if her good dream had transformed into a horrifying nightmare. A pulse rippled through the acidic green pool as bright, deep ocean irises snapped open and she drew her first breath, her chest rising and falling.

_Where am I? What happened? _

Abruptly, she sat up from the pool, her soaked hair falling down her back and framing her face. Confusion clouded her eyes before pain exploded from her head and she reached up with both hands, clutching onto her head, closing her eyes tightly. Her mind was bombarded with a flood of memories, unfamiliar as they were.

_-Lealie, resting on the old couch in her living room, reading silently. Her eyes were intense with curiosity and eagerness as she turned the page of the dark blue book in her hands. She was reading the first book of the Inheritance Cycle and already approved of the story. Book two, a red covered book, book three, a golden covered book, and book four, a dark green tome, rested beside her on the coffee table, ready and waiting to be read-_

_-Lealie, smiling at one of her students, laughing lightly as she corrected him on history, saying that Napoleon was not ''just some short, French dude''-_

_-Lealie, riding one of her horses, grinning broadly as she bent over the horse's neck, keeping her knees tucked in tightly to gain speed-_

_-Lealie, sobbing brokenly, crumpled over herself on the bathroom floor as she held a piece of paper in her hand. The words were blurred with tears but she could still read the words, 'Infertile'-_

_-Lealie, seeing an illusion of a very familiar man, and crashing into the fence, everything going black-_

Selena opened her eyes as the pain in her head faded swiftly, understanding her situation. Instead of killing her, as she had expected him to do, Morzan had knocked her out and put her under a powerful spell, forcing her into a coma-like state where she didn't remember any of her life here in Alagaesia. However, he had disregarded the fact that all magic, no matter how powerful, could be broken if used correctly.

She had dreamed up a life for herself, as a normal, mortal woman named Lealie, a high school teacher who rode horses and read for fun. Her memories had always been straining against the seal but her love for Brom had been the catalyst to completely shatter it. That last illusion that Lealie had seen was a memory of Brom when they were younger, when he was just a gardener, in disguise for the Varden.

At the thought of him, the love of her life, Selena felt her stiff lips, having not moved or even so much as twitched for years, twitch up into a soft smile, remembering his loud, rumbling laugh, and deep, mirthful chuckle. One detail she was immensely grateful for, was that the illusion of Lealie, was not real. In the illusion, Lealie had been barren, unable to bear children. That would have terrified her if true. But it wasn't, considering she had two sons of her own.

The thought of her sons, Eragon and Murtagh, made her heart skip, bringing a torrent of emotions. Worry and love were the most prominent. The love was automatic but the worry was caused because of her new knowledge. Lealie had read the Inheritance Cycle, a series of books detailing the lives of her sons, her love, and the rest of Alagaesia. Selena remembered every word and detail. Her heart ached, remembering the scene of the first book where Brom had been killed by the Ra'zac. It was followed by a fierce protective feeling as she vowed mentally to herself that she would _never _allow that to happen, not as long as she was breathing. She would protect him and her boys. Her family would stay safe and happy if she had anything to say about it.

But first, she had to get out of this cavern. Pushing up with her arms, she pulled herself to her feet, ignoring how soaked she was as she climbed out of the pool. Pain burst through her cloth covered arms as they brushed the light grey smoke surrounding the enchanted pool, drawing a pained hiss from her lips. Ignoring the pain, she pulled herself fully out of the pool, stepping onto the stone floor and moving away from the dangerous smoke.

When she was away from the smoke, she looked down at herself, examining. She was still wearing her armor over an outfit that she normally used for traveling. Tight, dark mahogany red leather pants clung to her legs, paired with an equally tight bronze colored sleeveless leather tunic.

Her armor overlapped that. A darkened silver metal chest piece wrapped around her torso and chest, front to back and around, cut into a v shape in the front, sleeveless. A short skirt, brushing her mid-thighs, followed that over the mahogany leather pants, made of a light, flexible silver material that was spelled to be endurable and protect her, as all the clothes were. Matching mahogany leather boots covered her feet and stretched up to just above her knees. Finally, dark red fingerless gloves covered her hands, leaving her fingers open for holding her weapons, stretching up to the middle of her forearms. From there, her sturdy leather braces wrapped around her forearms, ending at her biceps.

Sighing, she snapped her fingers and a hot wind brushed over her, drying her clothes and hair instantly. She looked around and, spotting the supplies resting against the wall, strode over to them. Her black leather bag was left there and her eyes moved to the wooden case standing beside it, leaning against the wall. Reaching out, she opened it and pulled out her weapon, delight bursting through her.

Her hands wrapped around the smooth leather shaft of her weapon, lifting it to her face as she studied it intently. The leather shaft was black with the word, 'Freedom', carved into it in the Ancient Language. She had done that herself years ago, before her imprisonment. Two gleaming silver blades, slightly curved opposite ways, were placed on either side of the shaft, as sharp as ever. It was a unique weapon she had found once, called a 'naginata'.

Selena smiled as she strapped the weapon to her back carefully, allowing one of the blades to rest over her right shoulder, where she could draw it quickly. Her hidden daggers and other weapons were still on her person. Morzan had not checked her for weapons, obviously, which was foolish of him. Rolling her eyes at the stupidity of the man, she reached for her bag, picking it up and going through it, checking that everything was there.

Inside, she always carried a detailed, extensive map, a few healing herbs and salves, a small bag of coins, and a spare cloak. She pulled out the cloak, thanking her natural precautions, wrapping it around her and flipping the hood up so her face was hidden from view. Finished with properly hiding herself, she continued rifling through her bag, pausing as her fingers brushed against something smooth and metallic. Recognition filled her as she slowly pulled the object out of her bag, revealing a small metal box.

The box was locked by her magic, one of her more powerful spells. Unlocking it easily, she opened the lid, staring down at what lay inside. Lying on dark blue velvet, was a dazzling sapphire stone, shaped into a heart. She knew what it was, having been the one to find it in Morzan's vaults and steal it. It was an Eldunari. In other words, a dragon's true heart and soul. They were rare and this one was very special in particular. This Eldunari held the soul and heart, as well as the consciousness, of a very familiar dragoness. It held the heart and soul of Saphira, Brom's dragon, who had been cut down by Morzan.

Selena had discovered it in Morzan's vaults the night she had escaped from Morzan's castle to hide Eragon in Carvahall. Upon finding it, Selena immediately knew she had to get it to Brom somehow. He had been devastated by his dragon's death and her heart ached for him. Unfortunately, she had not gotten the chance to give it to him because of her imprisonment. Selena had yet to contact the dragon within the gem.

Taking a deep breath, she reached out with her mind cautiously, calling to the mind within the Eldunari.

**_What do you want, little human? _**A slightly amused, feminine voice rumbled out.

_Is that you, Saphira? _Selena questioned, needing to know for certain.

**_How do you know of me, little maiden? Do I know you?_** The voice questioned, sounding slightly confused.

_My name is Selena and I do know of you. _Selena responded, slowly dropping her barriers enough to allow Saphira entrance into her memories. This was her love's dragon, his partner. She trusted Saphira completely, having already carried that trust for her rider, Brom.

Saphira, curious, entered her mind, skimming through the memories. A jolt of joy spread through their connection as she saw the memories with Brom in them before she continued searching through them. It took no more than a minute for Saphira to finish looking through her memories, withdrawing from the memories but staying connected to Selena's mind.

**_You are my Rider's lover? _**Saphira asked, speaking with a new understanding. **_Do you love him?_**

_Yes, more than anything._ Selena answered firmly, telling the truth of the matter. She would rather die than live without him.

**_He picked a fine mate then. _**Saphira chuckled, amused and approving, having caught Selena's thoughts and feelings of protectiveness and love.

_Thank you, My Lady. _

**_Call me Saphira, child. After all, we're family now. _**Saphira corrected lightly, sending a burst of warmth through their connection.

_Thank you, Saphira. _Selena replied, smiling widely, returning the warmth.

**_Now, I do believe it's time we returned to our Brom, don't you?_**

_I couldn't agree more, Saphira._


	2. Chapter 2

**_Kings and Queens_**

**_Summary:_** Lealie had always felt out of place, as if something important was missing. It really put a spin on her perspective when she died on ''Earth'' and woke up as her true self in the world of Alagaesia.

**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own the Inheritance Cycle or anything else mentioned in this fic besides my OC, Lealie. Technically, she can't really count as an OC since she's really an extremely important figure of the Inheritance Cycle with her memories sealed but her life as Lealie can count as my OC.

**_AN: _**Wow! Two favorites and four followers in one chapter, _Snowlarks, Mac Gustah, Ebony-The-Dragon _ and _CalicoKiitty402_! Thanks so much for following this story and adding it to your favorites, as well as a special thanks for _Snowlarks_ for giving me my very first review! You wouldn't believe how nervous I was to post that first chapter but I'm so glad I did. I wasn't sure the idea would be accepted but it worked out. I'll try to update weekly if I can. Review please if you enjoy it. Any helpful criticism is welcome as well.

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**_Chapter 2: Catching Up_**

_"__After all, how can a mere dragon expect to tell a man like yourself what to do? In fact, everyone should stand in awe of your brilliance of finding the only dead end.''  
\- Saphira_

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Selena stared at the charred ruins of her old home, the house and area she had grown up in, sorrow lurking in her eyes. Garrow, her brother, was now dead from his injuries dealt by the Ra'zac. Anger sparked before dying down as she calmed herself, knowing that she didn't have the time to fully grieve for her lost brother and sister-in-law, who had died years before. Worry overrode her sorrow, shoving it into the very back of her mind. She was worried over Eragon, who was only a boy still.

**_They went to Therinsford first? _**Saphira asked, having seen all of what would happen in Alagaesia after she looked through Selena's memories.

_Yes, they went to get horses. After that, they made for Yazuac. If we hurry, we may be able to catch them before they reach Yazuac. _Selena quickly calculated, judging that she was only a day behind them. The charred remains of the house and farm looked fresh, only two or three days old.

**_Then we must hurry, little moon. _**Saphira agreed, having followed along with her thoughts. Much to Selena's amusement, the sapphire dragoness had taken to calling her 'little moon' because of her name's meaning. Shaking her head in amusement, Selena set off, hurrying down the road, heading towards Therinsford.

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Two days passed without too much importance. Much to Saphira's surprise and worry, Selena had ran hard, all day and night, the first day, as well as half of the second, until they reached Therinsford, where she purchased a strong, lithe dappled grey mare. The blue dragoness chided her constantly, scolding the woman for pushing herself without a need to. The blue Eldunari was carried on her person, settled in the deepest pocket of her cloak, protected by a strong spell, one of the stronger ones that Selena had. Surprisingly, she and the blue dragoness had grown close, enough to the point that Saphira worried constantly over Selena, just as Selena did for her.

The second day of traveling, Selena had collapsed in the earliest hours of the morning, coughing up a considerable amount of blood from her mouth. Saphira had panicked, screaming at Selena's mind, greatly alarmed by the large amount of blood covering the mage's fingers from trying to keep the blood from coming up, failing in the process. She had only marginally calmed down after Selena had relented to her demands and rested in a tree, explaining her situation to the dragoness.

Before giving birth to Eragon, Selena had placed a strict seal on her magic that was still holding strong, though it was fading slowly. It was a precaution so that her magic couldn't react to her emotions and accidentally harm her baby. Her magic was known to be powerful, so much so that she could easily give Morzan a run for his money, though she had kept it well hidden. She had always been aware of her magical abilities, even as a child on the farm in Carvahall. That was why she had been so enraptured with the Spine, sneaking away at odd hours of the day and night to venture into the thick forest that hid her completely from any prying eyes, allowing her to relax and explore her magical abilities more thoroughly.

Selena knew her magic was powerful, even at a young age. Once, when she was in the Spine, she had attempted to swim underwater easily, despite the high pressures of the waterfall. To her pleasant surprise, not only could she swim deep down to the very bottom of the lake, she could also breathe underwater. That day she had spent, happily diving around under the water, watching as various colorful fish brushed past her, unconcerned with her presence in their domain. It was amazing and that was one of her best memories.

While traveling with Morzan, Selena had started out to satisfy her curiosity about her family line. She used her precious connections as the Black Hand to find out more about her family's history. After a long time searching, she discovered something important, though it wasn't from one of her sources. It came from an herbalist, a woman Selena now knew as a younger Angela, in the form of an offer of having her stones read. According to Angela, the crystals revealed that she was of Fae blood, the first to emerge in centuries.

It also revealed that her fate was inevitably intertwined with a Rider. At the time, she had believed it to be Morzan but after meeting and falling in love, she knew it was Brom. It had always been him, from the very beginning. The stones had also revealed her family. As a gift, Angela had given her the stone that had told her fate.

At the thought of it, her fingers reached up and lightly ran across the surface of the stone hanging from her neck on a thin but sturdy silver chain, pulling it out from underneath her shirt to study the pendant. Hanging from the end of the silver chain was a thin piece of gold, melded intricately into the shape of a magnolia flower, the petals carved delicately, the gold shimmering in the light. In the center of the gold flower was the fire opal Angela had given her, set in the center of the petals.

It was a beautiful stone, holding a wild, unique beauty. The main color was a dark, sapphire blue, followed by a bright, comforting purple, the two colors intertwining. The sapphire color represented Brom and the purple was Selena. After that, spread across the stone was a variety of blazing, bright blue, intertwined with a glowing, emerald green. That was Eragon and Arya, if Selena remembered correctly. The final two colors were a gleaming, ruby red color, intertwined with a glittering, pure gold. That was Murtagh and Nasuada. Selena found it amusing that both of her sons had women they were fated to be with and knew she would tease them endlessly for it.

**_Who gave you that? _**Saphira asked, curious, as she eyed the pendant from within Selena's mind.

_Brom,_ Selena chuckled softly to herself, remembering the nervous look on his face as he gave it to her. _He spent the night making it for me. It was wonderful._

**_It's one of your treasures. _**The dragoness stated more than asked, observing the way Selena's fingers grasped the pendant, covering it protectively.

_Yes, it is. One of the many things I never intend to let go._

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It took another two days for them to reach Yazuac, during which Saphira and Selena had started to work together on creating more spells in the Ancient Language with as few words as possible. Upon entering onto the main road, Selena urged her horse to go around the town instead of heading directly through the front entrance, placing a silent spell over her mare's hooves to quiet them, as well as another over her scent, hiding both hers and her mare's scents. She did not want any enemies to catch her scent or hear the hooves and come running. The two of them crept around the side of the town, entering a side entrance.

Her heart pounded, worry entering her mind. It wasn't for herself. It was for Brom and Eragon, who she knew would be attacked. Her every muscles was tense as she waited, casting a mental spell to enhance her hearing and her sense of smell. As soon as she did so, the distinct smell of decaying flesh and death rushed her nose, making her curl her lip slightly in disgust. That was her only outward reaction to the smell. From the years spent as Morzan's Black Hand, she had become accustomed to the smell, the smell of death and something rotting.

A sharp, loud yell, followed by a grunt and two snarls, met her ears and she narrowed her eyes, adjusting her hood with one hand so that it fully covered her face and head, hiding her identity. A black face mask, covering her entire face apart from her eyes, covered her face, the final piece of her disguise. Now that she had returned, she needed to make sure the Empire never learned of her return or Galbatorix would hunt her down mercilessly. She had no time to think about this, worry for her son and love overcoming her as she pressed down on her mare's sides, causing her mare to break out into a swift run.

They raced down the darkened alley, shadows passing over the two, before breaking out into the main square, light illuminating them again. Sharp blue eyes instantly scanned the square before darkening in anger. A large Urgal, standing at least six foot tall, towered over a man that could only be Brom on a pure white stallion. Selena would recognize that blue tunic, as tattered and old as it was, anywhere. A loud smack echoed through the courtyard and Snowfire, Brom's horse, whinnied, rearing back frantically. His rider was doubled over in the saddle, blood streaming down his arm.

White hot rage flowed through her veins before freezing as abruptly as it began, turning as cold as ice. Instead of raging as burning hot as a dragon's fire, Selena's anger had always struck hard and fast, freezing everything in its path. That _thing _would _pay _for harming her love. It would pay dearly, she was sure of that. Spurring her mare forward, she reached into her cloak and drew out one of her long daggers, the blade curving wickedly and stretching as long as her forearm at least. It would work perfectly fine for what she had in mind.

_Whoosh_

A soft wind brushed past as the Urgal's head tottered before falling, the headless torso crumpling into a heap afterwards. Behind him, Selena slowed her mare, turning her slowly as she straightened from where she had been leaning against the horse's neck for speed. Her dagger now held a long, thin line of black blood from the Urgal's throat. Disinterestedly, Selena drew a cloth from her cloak, rubbing the blood from her blade easily. Finally, now that her rage had calmed slightly, she turned to face Brom, moving her horse to stand next to Snowfire.

The white stallion snorted nervously, shying away from the pair. Reaching out with her mind, Selena gently touched Snowfire's mind, reassuring him in the Ancient Language that she nor her horse would harm him or his rider, promising that they only wanted to help. The white stallion calmed under her touch, whickering softly as she reached out with her hand, resting it on the bottom of his jaw. He moved closer, allowing Selena to look at Brom more closely.

Before she could thoroughly examine his wounded arm, a burst of magic rippled through the air and Selena jerked, her head snapping to the right as she felt her magic tingle in response. She recognized the user immediately. It was Eragon's magic, his first time using it. Worried for her son, she trotted her mare in that direction, following the trail of magic easily. However, before she could get too far, a forgotten visitor came.

Saphira, Eragon's dragon, in all her glittering blue, fierce glory, dived out of the sky and landed in the courtyard in front of Selena. Her large, slitted blue eyes locked with calm bright blue as she curled her lip, baring her sharp fangs in a clear warning. A ferocious snarl broke out of her throat, making Selena blink once before smiling behind her mask. It seemed the second Saphira was even more protective of her rider than the original Saphira was of Brom.

Calming her mare with a soothing stroke down her neck, Selena stayed still, remaining where she was. She knew that if she tried to move, Saphira would attack, not knowing her as anything but a threat to Eragon, or a possible threat.


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